CPC 43A — Custody of movable property

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

Statutory text

[43A. Custody of movable property.—(1) Where the property attached consists of live-stock, agricultural
implements or other articles which cannot conveniently be removed and the attaching officer does not act under the  proviso  to  rule  43,  he  may,  at  the  instance  of the  judgment-debtor  or  of  the  decree  holder  or  of  any

1. Rule 41 renumbered as sub-rule (1) by Act 104 of 1976, s. 72 (w.e.f. 1-2-1977).

other person claiming to be interested in such property, leave it in the village or place where it has been attached, in the custody of any respectable person (hereinafter referred to as the “custodian”).
(2) If the custodian fails, after due notice, to produce such property at the place named by the Court
before  the  officer  deputed  for  the  purpose  or  to  restore  it  to  the  person  in  whose  favour  restoration is
ordered by the Court, or if the property, though so produced or restored, is not in the same condition as it was when it was entrusted to him,—
(a) the custodian shall be liable to pay compensation to the decree-holder, judgment-debtor or any
other person who is found to be entitled to the restoration thereof, for any loss or damage caused by
his default; and
(b) such liability may be enforced—
(i) at the instance of the decree-holder, as if the custodian were a surety under section 145;
(ii)  at  the  instance  of  the  judgement-debtor  or  such  other  person,  on  an  application  in
execution; and
(c) any order determining such liability shall be appealable as a decree.]
44.  Attachment  of  agricultural  produce.—Where the  property  to  be  attached  is  agricultural produce, the attachment shall be made by affixing a copy of the warrant of attachment,—
(a) where such produce is a growing crop, on the land on which such crop has grown, or
(b) where such produce has been cut or gathered, on the threshing floor or place for treading out grain or the like or fodder-stack on or in which it is deposited,
and  another  copy  on  the  outer  door  or  on  some  other  conspicuous  part  of  the  house  in  which  the judgment-debtor  ordinarily  resides  or,  with  the  leave  of  the  Court,  on  the  outer  door  or  on  some  other
conspicuous part of the house in which he carries on business or personally works for gain or in which he
is known to have last resided or carried on business or personally worked for gain; and the produce shall thereupon be deemed to have passed into the possession of the Court.
45.  Provisions  as  to  agricultural  produce  under  attachment.—(1) Where  agricultural  produce  is
attached, the Court shall make such arrangements for the custody thereof as it may deem sufficient and,
for the purpose of enabling the Court to make such arrangements, every application for the attachment of a growing crop shall specify the time at which it is likely to be fit to be cut or gathered.
(2)  Subject  to  such  conditions  as  may  be  imposed  by  the  Court  in  this  behalf  either  in  the  order  of attachment or in any subsequent order, the judgment-debtor may tend, cut, gather and store the produce and do any other act necessary for maturing or preserving it; and if the judgment-debtor fails to do, all or any of such acts, the decree-holder may, with the permission of the Court and subject to the like conditions, do all or any of
them  either  by  himself  or  by  any  person  appointed  by  him  in  this  behalf  and  the  costs  incurred  by  the decree-holder shall be recoverable from the judgment-debtor as if they were included in, or formed part of, the decree.
(3) Agricultural produce attached as a growing crop shall not be deemed to have ceased to be under attachment or to require re-attachment merely because it has been served from the soil.
(4) Where an order for the attachment of a growing crop has been made at a considerable time before
the crop is likely to be fit to be cut or gathered, the Court may suspend the execution of the order for such
time  as  it  thinks  fit,  and  may,  in  its  discretion, make  a  further  order  prohibiting  the  removal  of  the  crop pending the execution of the order of attachment.
(5)  A  growing crop  which from its  nature  does  not admit of being stored shall not  be  attached under this rule at any time less than twenty days before the time at which it is likely to be fit to be cut or gathered.
46. Attachment of debt, share and other property not in possession of judgment-debtor.—(1) In the case of—
(a) a debt not secured by a negotiable instrument,
(b) a share in the capital of a corporation,

(c)  other  movable  property  not  in  the  possession  of  the  judgment-debtor,  except  property
deposited in, or in the custody of, any Court, the attachment shall be made by a written order prohibiting,—
(i)  in  the  case  of  the  debt,  the  credit  or  from  recovering  the  debt  and  the  debtor  from  making
payment thereof until the further order of the Court;
(ii) in the case of the share, the person in whose name the share may be standing from transferring
the same or receiving any dividend thereon;
(iii) in the case of the other movable property except as aforesaid, the person in possession of the same from giving it over to the judgement-debtor.
(2)  A  copy  of  such  order shall  be  affixed  on  some  conspicuous part  of  the  court-house,  and  another
copy shall be sent in the case of the debt, to the debtor, in the case of the share, to the proper officer of the
corporation,  and,  in  the  case  of  the  other  movable property  (except  as  aforesaid),  to  the  person  in possession of the same.
(3)  A  debtor  prohibited  under  clause (i) of  sub-rule  (1)  may  pay  the  amount  of  his  debt  into  Court, and such payment shall discharge him as effectually as payment to the party entitled to receive the same.

Back to CPC